Gunman Kills 7 At Small Christian College

Although this incident is not related to a local church, it is demonstrative of violence against the faith community.

OAKLAND — A former student at a small Christian college opened fire in the middle of a classroom, leaving seven people dead in one of California’s worst mass killings.

Authorities and witnesses described the suspect, identified as 43-year-old One L. Goh, as calmly spraying bullets around the classroom of Oikos University on Monday morning, seemingly without discrimination.

“He stood up and began shooting,” Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said Monday evening. Goh allegedly then left the classroom and continued his attack. “Shots were fired throughout the building,” Jordan added.

Paul Singh, whose sister was one of three wounded, told Reuters that the shooter instructed students: “Get in line and I’m going to kill you all.”

Tashi Wangchuk said his wife, a nursing student, locked the door to her classroom and turned off the lights after hearing the gunfire. The gunman, he told the Associated Press, “banged on the door several times and started shooting outside,” breaking the glass on the door before moving on.

There were about 35 students inside the college at the time. Like Wangchuk’s wife, many locked doors when they heard the gunfire and screaming. This made it difficult for authorities to evacuate the school and to reach some victims, whose bodies blocked the doors, Jordan said.